Look A Little Closer
by Dr.Sun
Summary: On the brink of war, Beacon Corp. has to play their cards right in order to keep Remnant safe from Grimm and the White Fang. (This is pretty much just on hiatus, except I'll update it whenever I have the motivation. Um, possible White Rose, I guess. Still thinking about it. Definite Bumblebee, though. So... that's good.)
1. Welcome To Beacon

**Ok, so just to be clear, this is a futuristic military AU, mainly inspired by CoD:AW and Masterpick's story, Guns n Roses. He helped me edit this and he's been beta reading this for me, so huge thanks to him. Go check out his page, he's a great writer.**

 **But anyway, I hope you enjoy this new story!**

Ruby Rose's eyes slowly fluttered open as she was woken from her dream by a series of yelling and loud clunks. A voice startled her as it broke through the daze she was currently in.

"Is everything alright, Miss Rose?" the voice asked, calm and strangely welcoming.

She looked to her right to see a grey haired man giving her a warm smile. She recognised this man as General Ozpin.

"Yes, sir. Just fine." she replied quickly, not wanting to ruin her calm and relaxed vibe she was trying to give off, not wanting to seem unfit for Beacon, evident by the sweat on the inside of her palms. The older man nodded and gestured behind him. Ruby was in a large car, something that seemed like a big transport truck. She had just been transported from Patch to Vale. The city and the kingdom.

"Well, you might want to get moving. I'm sure you'll have a lot to do today." he suggested.

Ruby just nodded and shuffled over in her seat to swing her legs out of the door and pushed herself up and out of the vehicle.

She took note of how beautiful Vale was on the way here, the vast, rolling hills that she passed on the way, but they were nothing compared to Beacon, the large military base that stood only a few miles away from the main city.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ozpin asked, noticing the look of awe on the young girl's face. Ruby was amazed at how pretty the base was, even if it seemed a little boring.

"Y-yes! It's amazing." she said, sounding a little too excited. Ozpin began to walk forwards and Ruby followed.

They had just gone through the main gate, a large wall of 3 foot thick concrete, reinforced with iron rebar, with a split in the middle, held in place with a number of magnetic locks, among other kinds. Before them was the main road, an asphalt path that led down to an open area. Ruby gazed to the right of the road, eyeing what would have looked like a soccer field, if not for the soldiers following the commands and routines of a holographic trainer.

Each of those soldiers glinted with frames along their arms and legs that didn't resemble any military equipment that Ruby immediately recognized. Even when craning her head to study them, she still couldn't grasp what exactly she was seeing. That is, until she turned to her left.

"Whoa…" Ruby's eyes widened, recognition dawning in them as she gazed upon two soldiers about to start an obstacle course. Their arms and legs were attached to a sort of metal exoskeleton, all the beams of which ran to their backs to a central harness that appeared to be like a hard backpack. Even their hands were lined with the skeleton, and judging from the way they moved- a certain spring in their steps, with much more force than what _should_ be there- the suits were powered on. Every time one of them moved, the suit responded with a metallic, electrical buzz or whir. The user provided the input, the suit provided the raw strength, and the backpack on their backs provided the power.

All of a sudden, one of them turned, and with a running start, leaped _over_ a wall, the first obstacle of the course. No hesitation, and with seemingly no effort from the operator. He just… jumped. Ruby knew exactly what they were: Exo-Suits, or just Exos as she'd heard. _Here they were._ Right in front of her.

"Wow. They're amazing." Ruby gawked, still walking, too busy watching the trained soldiers bounce around the course. She had seen such devices in videos on the news but never thought she'd be able to see one up close.

"Those are our exo-suits. External frames that are fixed to our soldiers, and aid them out in the field. With them, our men are capable of the most amazing physical feats. After we get you settled in, I could show you around that sector of the facility, if you like." the general offered.

Ruby's eyes lit up as she nodded enthusiastically. "That would be great!" she yelled with excitement. She quickly recoiled and jumped back, shocked that she let herself have a small outburst like that, especially in front of her superior.

The older man just laughed, amused by her fear. "Don't worry, Ruby. I'm not as strict as others. You don't have to be so formal." Ozpin told the young girl.

Ruby relaxed and sighed in relief. "That's good to know."

"Indeed. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but you do have a sister enlisted here, do you not?" Ozpin asked, knowing he was right but he still asked anyway.

Ruby's head snapped up and her eyes lit up, once again. "Yeah. I actually forgot all about Yang." she said quietly, blushing.

Ozpin just nodded as they continued walking. "Your sister is a wonderful soldier, I must say. She has been with our spec ops unit for a while. Coming on three years. Yes, Miss Xiao Long is one of our best." he added, with an unusual sense of pride.

As they strolled down the main road, a soldier in a small electric cart rolled past but stopped in front of Ozpin. It was silent and the tires rolled smoothly along the ground.

A man with long blonde hair, slicked back and into a cow lick popped his head to the side and looked back at the general.

"Need a ride, sir?" the blonde man asked.

Ozpin looked at Ruby who just shrugged. "Of course. Ruby, this is Dusk. He's a specialist of ours, here at Beacon." Ozpin said, gesturing to the blonde man in the car.

"This another recruit of yours?" Dusk asked teasingly. Ruby clearly took it as mockery and frowned, feeling a little down with her welcome to Beacon.

"Relax, Ruby. He's just kidding." Ozpin said, comforting the smaller girl.

Ruby nodded and reverted back to her usual, happy self, her smile returning to her face as she let her gaze drift upwards to the beautiful setting.

"Hop in." Dusk instructed, nodding his head towards the back of the car he was in. Ozpin opened up the door and gestured to the back seat. Ruby climbed in and was surprised to see another person in the back seat with her. It was a boy, about the same age as Ruby, if not a few years older. He had golden blonde hair and was wriggling about in his seat and playing with a small bracelet on his wrist.

"Hi. I'm Ruby." she blurted out, without even thinking.

The boy was caught off-guard by the sudden introduction. "H-hey. My name's Jaune." he managed to stutter.

Dusk laughed from the front seat. "If a girl saying 'hi' startles you, then I don't know how you're gonna be a soldier."

Dusk began to move the small cart forward after Ozpin got in the front seat. They headed down the wide path and arrived at a small gate. A few drones passed overhead and stopped in front of the gate, scanning the vehicles and people who wished to pass through. A man in a large mech-like suit stood tall at the gate, waiting for the drones to finish so he could personally inspect the vehicles. He came to the cart that Ruby and the others sat in and stopped. He eyed Ruby cautiously through the mask that covered his face. The suit encased his body, raising his height to about 8 feet tall. He had thick armor plating that slid over his shoulders and around his stomach from the back, but rested on his shoulders and back while not in combat. There was a small minigun that rested on the suits upper arm, sliding down to replace the suit's hands when firing. The face mask had a clear, bulletproof visor and a thick metal plating that covered from the nose downwards. It stood tall over them and made Ruby feel like he could wipe out an entire attacking force, should the base ever be attacked.

"Let them through!" he called out to the drones. They must have had a camera so the operator could tell whether to open or close the gate. "Sorry for the hold up, General." he apologised quickly, stepping to the side, almost diminishing Ruby's fear of him attacking them.

Ozpin nodded and Dusk drove through the gate. There were about eight large residential buildings, almost resembling those of Atlas. She had never been to the kingdom but she had seen documentaries and pictures. The tall, pristine white structures towered above the clean roads below, giving off a certain intimidating look.

"And this is where our soldiers stay." Ozpin pointed out.

Ruby thought for a moment before asking "So, will I be able to see my sister any time soon?"

Dusk stopped the cart in front of one the buildings and exchanged glances with Ozpin. Dusk nodded and Ozpin turned back around to face Ruby.

"Dusk can take you to see her after you settle in." the older man told her, exciting Ruby.

Dusk handed Ruby a radio. "Let me know when you want to get going." was all he said to her before gesturing for them to get out of the cart.

"Your belongings should have already been delivered to your rooms. Your doors should be unlocked and your keys will be on the table." Ozpin said, before turning around and returning to the cart and getting back in, driving away with Dusk.

Ruby and Jaune stepped inside the large building and looked around. They were surprised to see only rooms. There was a long hallway to their right and all the way at the end was a staircase. The two began to walk down the long corridor.

"So. What's up?" Ruby asked, trying to make conversation. "So… where are you from?" the young girl asked. Jaune shrugged off the question and asked his own. "I don't really want to talk about it. So where are you from?"

"I'm from Patch. I was in the local military back at Signal." she answered.

"So, where are our rooms?" the girl asked. Ruby laughed at his awkward response.

"I'm pretty sure our rooms are on the top floor." he informed her, looking down at the floor to avoid eye contact.

"How do you know about my room?" Ruby asked suspiciously. Jaune laughed nervously before Ruby nudged him with her elbow.

"I'm just kidding. All new recruits rooms are on the highest floor." she said, hearing Jaune let out a sigh of relief.

They kept on walking for a while. Ruby idly hummed to herself and counted along the numbers on the doors. At every one ending with a zero she skipped a little, trying to keep her blood pumping or some other reason she didn't quite understand herself. After counting almost a hundred doors, they came to their rooms. They were right next to each other. Jaune put his hand on a pad on the door and it beeped before the locks released and the door opened.

"That's weird. Ozpin said the doors would be unlocked." Ruby stated. Jaune shrugged.

"Doesn't really matter." he said, brushing it off. "Well, see you around, I guess." Jaune said before entering his room and closing the door.

Ruby placed her hand on the door pad, just as her new friend did. It beeped twice and Ruby heard some sort of electronic lock inside the door release with a click, echoing through the empty hallway. As she swing the door open, her eyes narrowed at the sight of how small the room was. It couldn't have been any bigger than ten feet wide and fifteen feet long. A cubby had been cut into the wall and adorned with bedding, compact enough to resemble a standard cot. Ruby turned around, frowning at the beige coloring of the walls with no paintings or pictures. Everything was… plain. However, her expression perked up at the sight of the holographic screen on the wall and the wooden coffee table where a small bottle sat. Ruby crouched to look at a small plastic card with her picture on it, sitting atop her suitcase against one of the walls. Her new Vale ID, complete with numbers and codes that would serve as her keycard and proximity badge.

Ruby changed clothes, grabbed Dusk's radio and exited her room, locking the door behind her. She bounded to the end of the hall and down the many flights of stairs before reaching the bottom. She stepped outside the building and reached for the radio Joker gave her. She pressed down the button and spoke into the device.

"Dusk? I'm ready." she said briefly, waiting for a response.

Dusk pulled up in front of her in a matter of seconds.

"Let's go find your sister, then."


	2. Introductions

**Okay, here we have the second chapter. Hopefully it's a bit more interesting than the last. Anyway, I want to give a huge thanks to Masterpick _again_ for helping me figure out a bunch of different writing strategies and techniques and all that. But really, this chapter would be so much worse if he wasn't there, helping me edit and pointing out all my errors.**

 **Also, I want to keep this to a weekly update. So by that logic, I'm a day late. But I hope you don't mind. The editing phase was just really difficult and I was really pressed for time.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapte!r Reviews are appreciated but don't forget to Fav and Follow if you like it. Enjoy!**

As Dusk drove down the main path, he turned right, up towards the Exo-Suit training and maintenance buildings. Dusk said something about them being up the hill on the way there, but she was too caught up in her thoughts about Yang.

Ruby gazed upon the small structures. She couldn't imagine what amazing things they had inside.

Dusk slowed to a stop in front of the training building. Above the sliding doors, the words '03 - TRAINING' were painted on the wall, the paint starting to fade. A look at the map next to the door confirmed that it was the third building on the map directory. The training building was to the right of the road with the maintenance station to the left. Ruby noticed they were just one storey, unlike most other buildings in the facility. They might have been the smallest.

Dusk had already gotten out of the UTV and strolled towards the small building, Ruby following close behind.

As the metal doors slid open, Ruby marveled at the mesmerizing sight. She noticed that the hallway was dim with a metal column in the middle of the room, wires running up it. She looked to the left, seeing a soldier with an exo-suit, glowing slightly orange. He was moving at an extraordinary pace, easily dodging another soldier that was trying to land a hit on him. He sped around the room, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust for the other soldier. His exo let out a long hiss every so often, preventing it from overheating or something like that. When he used the boosters to jump, slide or dash, there was a puff or hiss and a flash as the thrusters fired. Ruby could only hope she could use one out in the field.

Dusk spoke up, noticing Ruby's fascination. "If I'm not wrong, that's what you're gonna have." he said, earning a surprised gasp from Ruby.

"I'm gonna get an Exo-Suit thingy?" the young girl almost yelled. Dusk chuckled and nodded, leaving out that he was talking about the ability the soldier was using, not the exo. "In fact, we already have one lined up, just for you." he said with a smirk on his face.

The two continued to walk, Ruby taking notice of the display in the other window. A man effortlessly climbing up a flat metal wall. He had some sort of bulky gloves on. He jumped off the wall and slammed his hands back against it. Ruby and Dusk reached the end of the short hallway and Dusk put his ID card on a pad near the door.

"Iff I know Yang, she should be in here." he said confidently. Ruby nodded, not really paying attention to what Dusk was saying. She was too busy taking in the sight of the training room. It wasn't at all what she expected.

Ruby took note of the bar in the far right corner of the large room, thinking that it might come in handy after a long day. She moved her attention to the large climbing wall in the center of the room, getting a better look at it. There were no footholds or rocks, whatsoever. He must have been using those gloves that she saw earlier to climb up the flat surface. Behind the climbing wall, Ruby noticed the firing range. Bulletproof glass sealed the range off from the rest of the room, a few soldiers practising their aim. They were firing at red holographic targets and seemed to be avoiding the blue ones.

The sounds of nearing combat took her breath away, even more so as her eyes fell upon the combatant.

Yang.

The blonde stood on an elevated platform where everyone could see her and four other fighters, all afraid to go anywhere near her. All except for one.T Of course, there was a fight. Yang was surrounded by four other soldiers, each looking terrified to go near her.

Yang had a certain smile on her face, a smile that she only had when she was certain she'd win the fight she was in. Ruby had no doubt that Yang would drop them with ease.

A soldier ran at her while her back was turned, ready to jump at her. Yang moved the side and spun to face him, sticking her arm out to the side, clotheslining the man who ran at her. Two more enemies closed in on her from opposite sides, each throwing a punch.

Yang dodged one but took the other, just above her hip, causing her to stumble. She quickly turned back around and put her fists up. The blonde quickly stepped closer and threw her fist forward and hit one of them in the stomach and once again in the jaw. She heard the crack as her knuckles impacted against her opponent's face. He didn't get up.

The remaining fighter nervously backed away from Yang, sweat dripping down his face. The blonde quickly stepped forward and kneed him in the stomach, following through with an uppercut, knocking him out.

Yang turned to see that the other combatant had disappeared.

"Shit..." she muttered under her breath, not wanting to seem afraid. This last opponent was different. They were using a cloak. Yang knew them quite well and had a good idea of most of their tactics. Mind games was one of them.

Her opponent, still cloaked, tackled Yang from behind. T Her opponent seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and, within seconds, they had their arms wrapped around Yang. They struggled on the ground for a moment but the attacker was soon shaken off. Yang stood up and put her fists up in a defensive position. She watched her enemy slowly rise to their feet and circle around her. Yang started to move, too, around in a circle, like two boxers, more like Yang's preferred style.

Yang felt her breathing become shaky as her opponent lunged forward and launched their fist into Yang's stomach. She felt her breath knocked out of her, almost as if she had a huge weight dropped on her. The attacker drew back, however, giving Yang a moment to recover.

She took a few deep breaths and waited for the next attack. Sure enough, the other combatant threw their fists forward, one after the other, only to be blocked by Yang's forearms. They followed through with a wide kick, coming in from the side, seeming awfully sloppy. Despite the lack of technique, it still hit Yang's ribs like a train, knocking her off balance. Her opponent rushed forward and pushed Yang to the ground, quickly scrambling on top of her, pinning her arms to the ground. Yang tensed and her breaths began to shorten, seeing no mercy in her opponents amber eyes.

Yang chuckled and relaxed her muscles. "Okay, Blake. You can get off me now." she insisted. Blake stood up off of her and offered Yang a hand, the girl below her taking it. Ruby looked over at Yang but her attention was directed to the girl that had beaten her. The way her raven-like hair flowed down her shoulders and contrasted her pale skin. She walked tall but seemed somewhat introverted. Almost like she was hiding something in plain sight, but Ruby couldn't find it just by looking at her.

Yang grabbed her towel off the floor and wiped the sweat off her face. She hopped down from the platform and Blake followed. The two strolled towards Dusk and Ruby, a smile appearing on Yang's face when she saw her younger sister. The sisters ran towards each other, quickly wrapping each other in a hug. Ruby tucked her head in Yang's neck and sighed happily.

"I missed you so much. Dad did, too." the smaller girl said quietly. Yang just held her tighter.

"I missed you, too, Ruby." Yang replied. Dusk and Blake stepped to the side to give the two girls a moment of privacy. They stood there in a hug for a minute or two, not paying any attention to anything else. Not even Dusk clearing his throat.

He cleared his throat loudly, one more time, catching Yang and Ruby's attention. The two separated, but Yang kept an arm around her sister's shoulder, holding Ruby at her side.

"Nice job there, Yang." Dusk said, admiring her skill in hand-to-hand combat. Yang only smiled back at Dusk.

"So, what do you guys do when you're not on missions?" Ruby piped up. Dusk and Yang thought for a moment. Yang usually just trained and Dusk was busy running errands for Ozpin. They never really had time for anything else.

"Ozpin's always got something for me to do, so I'm never really off the job." Dusk explained. Ruby looked to Yang.

"I'm always training with Blake. Either that, or some cocky guy wants to challenge me. I always win." Yang said proudly. She gave Ruby a noogie and asked "What have you been doing while I was gone? Were you still with the local military?"

Ruby nodded and reached her hand up to grab Yang's arm. She grasped it but realised that something was wrong. Yang's skin wasn't soft and warm. It was cold and solid. Ruby stepped away and looked at Yang's arm, still holding it firmly. Yang shot Dusk a guilty look and the blonde man looked worried.

What Ruby was touching wasn't Yang's skin. It was some sort of metal. She looked at Yang with horror.

"Your arm…" she whispered in disbelief. Yang sighed and pushed Ruby's hand away from her arm. "I'm sorry, Ruby. I should have told you but I never got the chance." she tried to explain. Ruby noticed the genuine remorse in her sister's eyes but she was still angry.

"No! You have a robotic arm! You've lost a piece of you!" Ruby yelled. Her eyes were wide with shock.

"I've come to terms with that fact. I'm fine." Yang said in a soothing voice. Ruby didn't care. She stepped back and looked at Dusk, giving him a look that asked _Did you know?_ Dusk nodded solemnly.

"You may be fine with it but you've replaced that piece of you with a robotic arm? How could you do that to yourself?" she asked loudly, trying not to get angry.

"It's synthetic…" Dusk whispered sheepishly, suddenly scared of the small girl. Ruby glared at him, her eyes burning with anger, not that she showed it in any other way.

"Ruby, you're overreacting. Calm down." Yang said sternly, already sick of Ruby's dramatic behaviour. She was acting just as she did when she was a child. She'd over exaggerate every little thing, never letting up. Ruby sighed and was about to yell again but she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Ozpin standing behind her with a mug in his hand. He let go of her and took a sip out of his mug before speaking.

"Ruby. I'm sorry no one told you about Yang's," he paused, Yang looking to the ground. "...situation." he said calmly. "But that's no reason to have an outburst. Besides, you want to make a good first impression, no?"

"How about we get you in a training simulator? You should shoot something." Dusk suggested. Ruby let out a defeated sigh and nodded.

The older man gave Ruby a pat on the back and guided her out the door. Yang sighed and let her shoulders slump down. Soon, she was the one with a hand on her shoulder.

"She'll be fine, Yang." Ozpin said reassuringly. Yang nodded and looked at the ground. She took a deep breath and shifted her gaze up to Blake's face.

"Is that blood? We'll have to get you patched up." Yang suggested absently. She stepped away from Ozpin and nodded. "I'll talk to her later. Hopefully she'll calm down after a training op."

Yang began to walk out towards the door leading to the hallway, Blake silently following. Ozpin had faith in Yang and Ruby. As soon as the new recruit from Atlas arrived, they'd have to learn to work together. Whether they liked it or not.

Dusk had taken Ruby back to the UTV and they went straight ahead, towards a large building that looked like a huge warehouse. "That's the training sim building. Normally you'd have to go through a whole bunch of tests to get your Exo fitted for you but I prefer to do it this way. By trial and error. We run a few training sims, each with a different type and size of Exo and we find out which works best." Dusk explained. He seemed eager to get in there himself, wringing his hands back and forth. He constantly stretched his fingers, obviously hinting at his trigger finger itching.

Ruby nodded and looked up at the looming building before her. She watched the large door slide to the side, adding to its warehouse-like appearance. Ruby noticed that they didn't function like a normal military. Of course, they weren't. They weren't an army, as they didn't serve a single kingdom or continent. They did what the normal military couldn't, their main force their spec ops agents. That's how they afforded all their fancy equipment. While they did mainly assist with the military in the kingdoms, that was unpaid and seen as usual military activity. However, outside of kingdoms was the kind of work they charged for.

Dusk stopped the vehicle and got out, Ruby trailing behind him. Ruby stepped into a room that wasn't as large as she thought. She was stunned by the weapons they had in the small room, however. "Welcome to the prep room. Everything you'll need and have in a real mission is in here. Equipment, weapons, fancy technology… and Exos." he said, as if he were flaunting it.

Dusk strolled over to the shotgun rack, watching Ruby attentively. She ran towards the sniper rack. At least, that's what the soldiers called it. The higher-ups referred to them as _'high power, long range dispatch rifles'_. That translates to 'gun that kills people from far away'. And Ruby loved them. She reached for an NA-45; a low damage rifle with a faster fire rate. However, there was a special feature that Ruby admired about these guns. There was three firing modes. The first was a standard semi-auto. The second was a less accurate, lower damage mode that increased the fire rate further. The final mode was an explosive round. The first shot was always a primer round. Meaning, if you shoot once, it sets an explosive at the point of the bullets impact. The next shot will be the detonator; it makes the first shot go _boom_.

"You more of a sniper person?" Dusk asked with intrigue. Ruby nodded vigorously, grasping the rifle tightly to her chest and nursing it like a baby. Dusk picked up an S-12, a full-auto shotgun. He then casually perused the assault rifles, going past the big bulky ones and the tiny pea shooters and straight to the HBRa3. He picked it up and seemed to be testing its weight. "Nine point one." Ruby murmured. Dusk turned around to look at Ruby as she blushed and looked down.

"What?" he asked, sounding confused. Ruby sighed. "Nine point one pounds. That's how much the HBRa3 weighs." she murmured again, not seeming so embarrassed anymore. Dusk shook his head in disbelief, smiling at the small girl. "You really like guns, don't you? I'm impressed."

Ruby moved over to where Dusk was standing. He still held the HBRa3 but was now also holding a Bal-27. "I'd go for the HBR." Ruby input. Dusk put down the Bal and aimed down the sights of the HBRa3. He nodded and put the Bal back on the rack properly. He stepped over to a large bulletproof door and grabbed a handle on the side, pulling it open and revealing a collection of Exo suits.

"I think we should go without them for this first round. I want to see how you do in regular combat." Dusk stated. Ruby nodded, disappointment evident in her eyes. Dusk felt guilty for not letting her use the Exo but this was the one rule he followed. Never let someone use an Exo without seeing them in normal combat.

"Got everything you need?" Dusk asked, sorting through a metal ammo box next to the gun rack before grabbing a magazine and jabbing it into the receiver of his HBRa3.

"Yep. But I think you need to switch off your safety." she told him. Dusk shook his head and smiled.

"There is no safety." he said matter-of-factly. Ruby cocked her head to the side with a confused look on her face. Dusk held his gun up and pointed it at Ruby with one hand. He squeezed the trigger and Ruby flinched, only to hear a click. Dusk then pointed the barrel a little bit to the right, squeezed the trigger and let a few bullets fly out. "Automatic safety. It basically refuses to fire at anyone registered with Beacon."

"What if someone turns on you?" Ruby asked, suddenly intrigued. Dusk shrugged and pulled his pistol out.

"That's what sidearms are for. Sidearms have manual safety switches. Always carry one. Not that anyone's gonna turn on you." he said, casually putting his pistol away.

"What's that? That handgun; I've never seen anything like it." she said, a hint of amazement in her voice.

"This," he said, gesturing to the pistol in its holster on his belt. "is the Beacon .45. Custom designed by our private manufacturers, right here." he said, once again sounding proud.

Ruby nodded as she examined the gun from a distance. Dusk stepped forward and flipped the gun in his hand so the barrel was pointed towards himself and held it out towards Ruby. "Try it. It's decent. More of an all-rounder." he offered. Ruby gracefully accepted the gun and put it in her holster.

That's when she realised. She was still in her civilian clothing. "Wait! I need to get changed! I don't even have armour!" she yelled with a panicked tone.

Dusk chuckled and unstrapped his body armour, knee pads and elbow pads. He chucked them towards Ruby, who caught them. "What about you?" she asked, concerned.

Dusk shrugged and walked towards an elevator in the corner of the room, to the right of the Exo suits. "I'm willing to bet that I'm tougher than you. I'm not afraid to take a few training rounds to the chest. But it's not like we'll be shot anyway, if you're any good." he said, teasing her with the last sentence.

"But I'm a sniper! I'll be at a distance and, with your loadout, I'm pretty sure you won't be any further away than me." Ruby argued.

"Ruby. Just because it's your first day here, doesn't mean you get special treatment." Dusk replied sharply.

"But this is special treatment!" Ruby pointed out, getting annoyed with the older man's constant arguing.

"Doesn't matter anyway. Hurry up, they'll start without us." Dusk said sternly, stepping into the elevator. "Come on." he instructed, gesturing to his side, telling her to get in the elevator. She complied and stood by his side, closing a small gate behind her.

After that, they plunged down into darkness.


	3. Just A Scratch

**Alright, another chapter done. This one took a bit more effort and time, simply because I was having discussions with a friend of mine, I'm sure you'd know who by now. We were discussing guns and loadouts for characters and things like that.**

 **I wanted to step away from the CoD canon, as far as weapons go, so this friend was busy educating me in real life firearms, something I have _zero_ experience with. It's more difficult to understand than I originally thought but it's been fun.**

 **But, without further ado, here's chapter 3.**

Ruby felt her heartbeat quicken and sweat coat her small palms. She was extremely stressed now that she was actually in the middle of the training operation. Her team (not that you could really call it a team), consisting of Dusk, Flax and herself, hadn't yet advanced to the courtyard, where their entrance was.

They were hidden in the bushes, just behind the edge of the forest. Ruby looked through the scope of her rifle and saw a small estate, illuminated in the darkness of the night. Dusk nudged her elbow lightly, catching her attention. She drew away from her scope and cocked her head to look at Dusk. "Two guards on the patio." he warned in a hushed voice.

Rain was sprinkling down, making it hard to hear his whispers over the sound. Ruby, once again, peered through the scope and shifted her focus to the patio. Just like Dusk said, there were two guards on the patio, standing idle by a door.

Dusk had shown her the floor plan of the main house before setting up in the bushes, out of sight. Ruby remembered that the side door led to the main room, a hallway branching off, directly opposite the door. That would be their entrance point.

"How are we gonna do this?" Ruby asked, still looking through the scope. Dusk was silent for a moment, thinking. "We'll stay hidden for as long as possible but don't be afraid to go loud. Take out the guard on the right. Flax'll take the one on the left." he whispered. Ruby heard the bolt of a rifle slide into place as Flax loaded a bullet. "Try to time your shots with the thunder - we don't want to be caught straight away." Dusk added.

Ruby nodded. A bolt of lightning struck off in the distance. She waited for the booming thunder in anticipation. "I'll lead." she said quickly, before hearing the first wave of thunder. "3...2….1" she whispered as she squeezed the trigger, already aiming at the guards head. His body slammed against the wall as the surface was spattered with blood. He slowly slumped to the ground, the other guard startled by his ally's death. He reached for his radio but was stopped by a bullet hitting him in the neck, causing him to fall to the ground, clamping a hand down on his throat.

"Nice work. Move up." Dusk said quietly, but still louder than before. He scrambled to his feet and slowly moved forward, crouching slightly. He made his way to a large tree and hid behind it, standing up and peeking out. He leant back, pulled his HBRa3 off of his back and loaded a magazine. He checked that his silencer was attached properly before peeking out again.

"We'll move to the entrance and take out any hostiles inside. If you're seen, don't worry." he said sternly before glancing back at Ruby. "The only thing you'll have to watch out for are the grenades. Training rounds will leave a bruise but those grenades? They can pack quite a punch if you're not careful; they're like beefed-up flash grenades, except they have force. Sometimes they can throw people across rooms. Keep an eye on your grenade indicator." he advised. Ruby raised an eyebrow at Dusk, having no idea what he was talking about.

"Nevermind the grenade indicators. It's just part of your HUD. You'll get one later." he whispered, looking over to the deck, where several guards stood idly.

Ruby nodded and waited for Dusk to move. She took this time to study the outdoor area. Her gaze was drawn over to the deck, left of the patio and just above the pool. She saw two guards standing by the pool and another three up on the deck. One at the stairs and two closer to the patio.

"Stay close." Dusk whispered, ducking out from behind the tree and running out past the treeline. He leaned back, still running before dropping down and sliding into the bush in front of him. The guards on the deck took notice of the noise he made and shone their flashlights on the bush he hid in. Unable to see anything, two of them walked towards Dusk, the third guard watching them closely.

As they got closer, Dusk reached out of the bush with a knife in his hand.

He jabbed the blade into one of the guards throats, ripped it out and quickly slit the others. He ducked back into the bush, preparing to pull his HBRa3 off of his back. By the time his finger was on the trigger, the third guard was already dead. Flax had fired three shots at him, one missing by an inch, the other two hitting him in the stomach and head.

Ruby and Flax quickly rushed over to Dusk's hiding place and crouched down next to him. "What now? Take out the guards at the pool?" Flax asked eagerly.

Dusk put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Don't be so rash. I think we can get under the deck through the mesh and take them out from close range." he said, planning out a strategy in his mind.

"So, guns are out of the equation?" Ruby asked, confirming what Dusk said. Dusk nodded and slowly moved forward, slipping through the shadows. As he approached the deck, slid into the small hole in the mesh, smacking his hand against the top of the wooden platform as he disappeared from sight. The noise caught the attention of the guards and they slowly walked over to the edge of the deck and peered over, descending the stairs to ground level.

As one of the guards bent down to look through the small hole Dusk had gone into, Ruby saw only a blur before said guard disappeared into the hole. The other guard jumped back and pointed the barrel of his gun at Dusk's hiding place.

Ruby gasped and ran forward, leaping into action. She approached the guard and tackled him to the ground, quickly pulling out her knife. The guard tried to push her away but his reaction was too slow. She jabbed it forward and aimed for his jugular. He desperately gasped for air and stopped trying to pry Ruby away and instead cover the wound. Blood poured out of his neck, between his fingers as he gasped for air. Ruby could only hear a raspy sigh as his frenzied clawing at his own throat ceased. Dead. Ruby knew it was a simulation but couldn't stop a gasp from escaping her lips at how unnervingly realistic it was.

Dusk crawled out of the opening and wiped a bead of sweat off of his brow. "That was extremely dangerous, you know?" he chuckled and lightly punched her arm. "You and Yang are so different but, sometimes, so alike."

Flax ran over to the others and looked Ruby and Dusk up and down. "Everyone's okay?" he quickly asked. He noticed that Ruby now had blood on her hands, the source being obvious, the dead body sprawled out on the floor. The young girl looked a bit rattled from the slick, red fluid that had already started to dry on her hands. After a moment, she and Dusk nodded.

Dusk grabbed the body by the wrist and slung him into the hole, out of sight. He leaned down slightly and stepped up onto the deck, gesturing for the others to follow. Ruby climbed up, following Dusk directly and ignoring the stairs, a few feet to their left. Flax crept up the stairs, closely tailing Ruby.

They stopped when they got to the entrance Ruby had specified. Dusk grabbed his HBRa3 and Ruby pulled out the Beacon .45 Dusk had given her. It was the only option she had - it was silenced and it wasn't a huge sniper rifle. Flax stood behind Ruby who was left of the side door, Dusk on the right.

Dusk pushed the door open slightly, peeking in. "I can't see anyone. I'll use a threat grenade. We can shoot through the walls." he said, softer than before, not wanting to be heard.

Ruby shot him a confused look. "How can we see through walls?" she asked curiously. Dusk rolled his eyes. "They appear on your HUD." he said matter-of-factly. Ruby just cocked her head at him, still confused. Then it clicked. Ruby arrived no more than three hours ago. She hadn't gotten her HUD implants. Cybernetic projectors that sit behind the user's cornea, allowing them to see data in their field of vision, such as maps, enemies marked by threat grenades, a live count of ammunition they had and grenade indicators. "Shit." Dusk muttered under his breath. "Don't worry, Flax and I will take this one. You just sit tight." he added. He nodded at Flax and pulled a small metal cylinder off his belt and rolled it into the room. There was a pulse of red and Dusk's eyes darted across the wall, looking at the enemies that had been marked. Flax pulled a pistol out of its holster and aimed it at the wall. The two men exchanged glances and nodded before firing at different spots on the wall.

A few seconds passed and Dusk leaned into the doorway, pushing the door open with one hand and pointing his gun inside with the other. He swung the door open fully and strode across the room, pushing the door on the other side of the small area open. Ruby took small steps through the room, taking notice of the large screen on the wall, much like the one in her quarters. She saw four bodies lying dead. One on the couch, positioned in front of the TV, another two on the floor next to the door on the other side of the room, the last leaning against the wall next to the TV, blood smearing the wall.

Flax rushed past her, not wanting to lag behind. Ruby sped up and quietly jogged after her teammates. As she looked through the doorway, a few bullets flew last her face, narrowly dodging them. Ruby's spine straightened as her ears were bombarded with cries of pain. They came from… up ahead. Then she realised that she hadn't heard Flax's gun fire. Her gaze darted back into the corridor to see Flax on the ground, writhing in pain, clutching his chest. Ruby felt a wave of fear engulf her. Even though it was a simulation, it still frightened her. She was about to go and grab him before Dusk called out to her. "Don't worry! He'll be fine! Get back and clear the area!"

Ruby ran backwards, taking her rifle off her back and dropping down onto her stomach, removing the sight as quickly as she could. She knew she should have taken cover to do it but she also knew that Dusk was in more danger and it would be harder for the enemy to hit her, so drawing their fire seemed like a good idea at the time.

As she unclipped the scope and looked down past the ironsight, she waited for someone to poke their head out. Peering down the hallway, she could see three doors - the one closest to herself was where Dusk was taking cover. She wasn't sure about the middle door but the door itself was swung outwards, into the hall, the third door was the exact same.

Paying close attention to look for any movement, she noticed the barrel of a gun only just leaning out from behind the door. Without hesitation, she fired at the door, the bullet didn't penetrate however, due to it being a primer round. She smirked to herself and fired another round at the exact same spot on the door, watching it get blown to bits by a small explosion.

She quickly shifted on the ground to point her rifle at the second door. She waited for a sign of movement, not wanting to fire prematurely. She flicked the switch where the safety would usually be, switching the guns firing mode to normal sniper rounds.

She saw an enemy jump out from behind and throw a grenade in her direction and she fired out of instinct. In her mind, she cursed herself and rolled onto her back, crawling backwards. She didn't see the grenade and assumed it went over her head and out the door.

Bad move on her part. She shot the enemy before he actually threw the grenade, causing it to fall short. And she just crawled straight back into it.

Next thing she knew, there was a flash of white and she felt herself fly forward and smack into the ground in front of her.

And that's all she could remember.

Dusk looked to the side to see Flax and then looked back towards Ruby. He could see that she was unconscious. If she were awake, she'd be in a lot of pain.

He quickly pressed the button on his radio. "Stop the sim! We have wounded on the field, I repeat - wounded on the field!" he yelled frantically. He wiped some of the blood away and brushed her hair away from her face, revealing a cut and a few bruises. "Could have used a grenade indicator…" he mumbled to himself.

He let a finger trail over the cut on her head, causing her to roll around in his arms. He pulled his hand away and rolled her onto her side. He watched as the detail from the room slowly disappeared, the colour from the paintings vanishing to a cobalt blue, as did the rest of the room.

Dusk was slightly startled by the group of medics that rushed through the door he had entered just a few minutes ago. An older man, possibly in his fifties, shown by the wrinkles on his face, scars hidden among them, crouched down next to Dusk and quickly examined Ruby.

"Looks like it may just be a concussion. We'll get her to the medbay." he said, looking up at Dusk and fiddling with a ring on his finger. The older medic directed two younger men to help Flax while Dusk helped him place Ruby onto a stretcher and roll her out to a van in front of the estate.

Dusk hopped into the back of the van and sat next to Ruby, finding himself deeply concerned for the young redhead. As the van began to drive, he heard chatter from the driver's radio, something about Flax being fine with only a few bruises and something else about telling Yang that her sister was hurt.

He felt genuine concern for Ruby and he feared he was responsible for letting her get hurt. He expected more of himself. Letting a person he had never seen fight into an operation without proper equipment and sven without a HUD? Dusk kicked himself for making such a stupid mistake.

"Yang's gonna kill me." Dusk muttered to himself.


	4. Discharge

**Okay, long time, no see. Firstly, I want to apologise for not uploading for about two months, give or take. But, hey! I'm not dead. I don't really know if anyone was actually waiting for this chapter or anything, but here it is.**

 **The reason for my unexplained disappearance was, you probably guessed it: schoolwork. I had this huge project to work on and not very long to do it so I focussed on that project and nothing else. Also, this chapter will most likely be lacking in quality, at least compared to the previous chapters. Probably just from lack of editing and me wanting to get this out before everyone assumes this story is dead.**

 **And that reminds me, this story is _not_ dead. I plan to get very far through this story and I plan to make it to the end. Yes, some chapters will take longer to come out than others, but I promise I'll make an effort to get through this story.**

 **Okay, enough of my rambling, enjoy the chapter.**

Ruby could hear muffled voices as she stirred and slowly woke up. She felt like her arms were being dragged back down towards the bleached bedsheets below her.

As she slowly moved her hands to her sides, she could hear the stiff sheets crumpling under her arms. She also took notice of the sound of movement beside her. Letting her eyes open slightly, she glanced to her right. A girl sat there patiently, her eyes scanning over some sort of document on a tablet in front of her.

The girl's eyes moved away from the tablet and over to Ruby. She leaned forward in her chair to get a better look at the smaller girl's face. After a moment, she slumped back in her chair and lifted the device to begin reading again.

Ruby groaned quietly. She pushed herself up in the hospital bed and slowly opened her eyes.

The other girl put her tablet down and stood up, towering above her at the side of the bed.

Ruby then recognized the girl. She first noticed the unique armor she was wearing. The sleek, black plating that covered her whole body. The ebony hair that flowed down her shoulders and onto her back.

It was the woman that Yang was training with earlier that day. At least, she thought it was earlier in the day. Ruby had opened her mouth to speak but she immediately regretted it, her dry throat being a reminder that she needed a drink badly.

The girl stepped over to a small bedside table and picked up a glass pitcher and a drinking glass. Pouring the water into the cup, she looked Ruby up and down. She handed the glass to Ruby and put the pitcher down, returning to her seat.

"Drink it slowly." she said flatly, her eyes glancing over at Ruby from the tablet in her hand. Ruby nodded before gulping down the water, ignoring the warning.

She sighed in relief and suppressed a burp before finally speaking. "You're… Blake, right?" she asked quickly. Blake nodded and stared at Ruby again. She stood up and quickly swiped at her tablet a few times, beginning to pace around Ruby's bed.

"I'm surprised you remember that much." she said quietly. Her mumbling earned a confused look from Ruby. "I mean, yes. My name's Blake. Your sister is… my partner." she said, introducing herself.

Ruby nodded. "So where's Yang now?" she asked. Blake glanced over to a clock on the other side of the room. It was almost 5pm.

"I told her to go get some sleep about an hour ago. I'd let her rest for a while." Blake said absently. Ruby shot Blake a confused glance before taking a moment to think.

"Blake? How long was I unconscious?" she asked suspiciously. Blake snapped out of her trance and thought for a second.

"Almost three days. Yang was by your side the whole time. She never slept a wink." she answered, sounding slightly concerned. Truth be told, she was. Yang hadn't been taking much care of herself lately and Blake was starting to get worried.

Ruby gasped in surprise. "Wow. Three days… it feels like it only happened this morning." she said groggily, her mind somewhat cloudy from a small headache.

Blake nodded and looked back down at the tablet in her hand. "I'm just going to ask you a few questions the doctors gave me. Is that alright with you?" Blake asked cautiously. Seeing Ruby nod, she began.

"First of all, do you know your full name?" she asked, sounding a bit bored.

"Ruby Rose. No middle name." Ruby answered with a nod. Blake nodded as well, confirming what Ruby said.

"Where did you grow up?" Blake asked. Ruby responded immediately.

"I grew up in Patch. In the middle of the woods. Dad built a cabin out there but it was close enough to Signal so we could quickly go there and back." she replied rapidly.

Blake just nodded again. "And who are your parents?" she asked, almost robotically.

Ruby hesitated to answer, her breath catching slightly, but figured that she could trust Blake. "My dad's name is Taiyang Xiao Long. He used to teach at the university in Signal. Then, when the war got really bad, he taught at the combat school and helped out with the safe zones that the VDF set up." Ruby paused and took a deep breath. Blake clearly wasn't satisfied with just her father. Ruby sighed as she prepared herself. "My mother… her name was Summer Rose…" Ruby managed to only get so far as her name before tears began to well up.

Ruby steadied herself and was about to say more about her mother before Blake spoke up. "That's all I need to know. You seem to be alright." she said quietly. She closed the door to the right of Ruby, then walked over to the window on the left side of the room. Gazing out to look at the bustling facility below her, she sighed. "I've read your file. Many times. It says that you're reckless, immature and rash." she said bluntly. "I don't want that to be a problem on the field. If Ozpin isn't playing some joke and we really are going to be working together, I don't want you to put my life or Yang's in danger."

Ruby thought about what this woman just said to her. "But that's just what my file says… I'm not like that." she mumbled sheepishly.

Blake turned to look at Ruby with an apologetic look in her eyes. "I know. I can't tell what you'll be like but I just want to ensure everyone's safety."

"But it's not safe. Out in the field, you're constantly in danger." Ruby added. Blake nodded and walked over to Ruby and glanced at the heart monitor connected to Ruby's chest.

"Hey. Look at me." Blake said loudly. Ruby flinched before looking up at Blake. Blake's firm gaze softened. "Sorry. I-I wasn't yelling… at you. Just… do you see my name?" she asked awkwardly. Ruby shot her a confused glance.

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly. Blake sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was clearly sleep deprived and trying to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Your HUD mustn't be working. I'd talk to the doctors about it." she said, examining Ruby's face closely. Ruby chuckled silently.

"No, I don't have a HUD. Dusk said I'd have to get one later." she informed Blake, who sighed again.

"Well, while you were out of it, the doctors installed your HUD while they were at it." Blake said matter-of-factly. Ruby quickly turned away for a moment before looking back up at Blake.

"Why isn't it working?" Ruby asked, sounding like a curious child.

Blake shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've never known how they work. Might be some sort of activation function." she answered quietly. "The nurse said that you're cleared for discharge whenever you feel like it. Just let me know and I'll get you out of here." she said, picking up her data pad and looking over a few documents. "Yang will probably want to see you. I'll take you to her." she added, wanting to spend her time alone rather than with Ruby.

"I'd like that. I just wish she'd have told me about her arm." the smaller girl said frowning. She pushed the blankets off of herself and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Can we go now?" she asked eagerly. Blake nodded and pulled the pads and wires off of Ruby's chest. "Shouldn't we let the doctors do all that?"

Blake shook her head. "They don't have to. It's just a heart monitor." she stated. Blake was about to walk out the door when she stopped and looked at Ruby again, noticing that she only had a hospital gown on.

"I'll get the nurses to bring your clothes." Blake said. "Wait here."

Blake left the room and shut the door behind her. Ruby sighed and sat back down on the soft bed. For the first time, she properly looked around the room.

She leaned forward to look out of a window next to the door. She couldn't quite see past the blinds so she tugged on the little chain at the side. Opening them, she peeked out the window, into the hallway. Doctors and nurses in scrubs and white coats all rushed past, carrying either clipboards or injured patients.

Ruby looked back to the window behind her, quickly walking over. Leaning on the windowsill, she felt the setting sun hit her skin, immediately feeling a warmth flow through her.

She turned back around when she heard the door opening behind her. A nurse had Ruby's clothes neatly folded in her arms. Her blue eyes nervously darted around the room before focussing on Ruby.

"I, um… have your clothes, miss." she nervously stuttered, her high pitch voice echoing around the silent room. Ruby quickly took her clothes from the nurse and nodded.

She said a quick thanks before the nurse left the room and closed the door. Ruby closed the blinds and quickly stripped out of her gown. She was thankful they left her undergarments on.

She swiftly slipped into her black jeans and then squirmed into a matching undershirt. Grabbing her red hoodie, she opened the door to see Blake leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hall. She had that tablet shoved in her face again.

"What's on that data pad that you find so interesting?" Ruby asked. Blake looked up, surprised. She switched the device off and put it in a black backpack next to her on the ground.

"It's nothing. Just a mission report." she said dismissively. She picked her bag up and started down the hall, gesturing for Ruby to follow.

Ruby complied and followed Blake down the long hall. When the elevator was in sight, the doors had only just closed. Blake huffed and opened the door to the stairway, next to the elevator. Ruby stepped through and Blake followed, the silence broken by the loud thunk of the door closing.

"How high up are we?" Ruby panted, quickly descending the stairs. Blake just rolled her eyes.

Finally, the two reached the bottom and Ruby opened the door that awaited them. She stepped out into the deserted lobby and Blake headed to the front desk, talking to the receptionist.

After a few minutes, Blake stepped away from the desk and pulled Ruby along with her. Ruby squinted while her eyes adjusted to the beaming sunlight. The two quickly strode through the courtyard.

"Yang's apartment is off-site. We'll have to hurry if we want to get back before dark." Blake said firmly.

Ruby looked up to see the top of the building they just came out of. She could barely see the white and green sign that resembled a cross.

"Parking lot's this way." Blake said. Ruby noticed the lack of emotion in her voice. It reminded her of her teachers in school, droning on for what seemed like hours.

The journey to the parking lot also seemed to go on for hours. It was only about ten minutes but it felt like more to Ruby. Blake wasn't one for conversation and the constant silence was difficult for Ruby to endure.

Ruby thought the parking lot was pretty standard. It tunneled under one of the outer walls. Ruby noticed that the outside of the car park was heavily guarded; it was fenced off from the rest of the facility. Blake always thought of it as a miniature compound in itself. Ruby felt as if the HESCO barriers were taller than her, leaving her feeling safe and protected. She liked it.

What she didn't like, however, were those huge, armored soldiers accompanied by those large, mech-like suits. "AST's. The large mechs." Blake stated. She flashed her ID card at one of said soldiers and a portion of the fence slid to the side. As they stepped through the gate, Ruby realised how big the AST's really were. She took notice of how they towered above her and if anything were able to knock it over, how it could crush her like a bug.

"You'll learn to love them. They'll become a welcome sight in the field." Blake added, still walking.

She took long strides down into the bunker. Ruby followed closely, descending down into the dark cavern. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the low light, barely able to see the dim yellow lights.

Blake stopped for a moment and looked around the lot. She scanned over all the cars before she continued walking. "This way."

 **A/N: Before you say anything, yes I know the ending sucked. And the middle. And the start. But the ending was especially bad because it was cut off. I planned to make it longer but I'm not good with jumping from one setting to another and I really didn't want to waste time on just traveling to Yang's apartment. Also, next chapter we'll get to see Yang again! This time, it will be on better terms, with Yang being more happy to see Ruby, rather than them being somewhat amgry at eachother.**

 **Anyway, please Fav and Follow if you enjoyed and reviews are always appreciated. I'll see you in the next chapter (that hopefully won't take two months to come out.)**


	5. Sleepover!

**A/N: Hey, everyone. I'm really sorry for the lack of uploads recently. In previous chapters, the editing has been pretty slow but now, I've got Uncle Dante, who volunteered to beta read for me and help me edit. So, hopefully I'll be able to upload chapters more often.**

 **Also, in addition to beta reading, she's also made cover art! So, that's cool. Plus, she's a really nice person as well.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and, if you enjoy the story, make sure to Fav and Follow.**

* * *

Yang dropped down onto her couch with an exhausted huff, strawberry sunrise in one hand, TV remote in the other. The TV turned on with a click, but she didn't pay attention. She let her head hang back as she closed her eyes, letting out a content sigh.

Yang's relaxation was interrupted by a pounding on her door. She decided against answering it, hoping whoever was there would leave. If it was Blake, Yang had nothing to worry about since they both had keys.

After a few seconds of silence, Yang had assumed that whoever knocked had gone, until she heard the telltale jingling of keys in the lock.

Rising to her feet in a flash, she put down her drink and rushed to the door. The moment it opened she reached through the door and grabbed Blake by the waist, pulled her inside then pushed her against the door after slamming it shut.

As Yang peppered kisses on her partner's neck, Blake tried to speak but she was silenced by Yang's lips on hers. One heated kiss later, against her better judgement, Blake grabbed Yang and turned her around, pushing her against the wall next to the door.

"Taking initiative, Blakey?" the blonde teased, her partner now pressing kisses against her collarbone. Yang let her hands wander down from Blake's shoulders, slowly down to—

"Yang?"

Silence. Blake had frozen. Yang pulled her hands back up to their original position.

That high pitched voice. The innocence tone.

"Ruby!" Yang exclaimed, feigning innocence and pushing Blake away. The black haired woman stumbled back and turned away, hiding the blush on her face.

The younger girl stood there blushing, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Were you two—"

" _Not_ kissing?" Yang interrupted. Ruby cocked her head to the side.

"I was gonna say the opposite," the younger sister replied, a confused look on her face.

Yang sighed and pushed off of the wall to stand up straight.

"It's not what it looks like, Ruby," Blake spoke up from her spot behind Yang. The blonde just smiled.

"Unless it looked like we were making out and we're dating," Yang admitted with a sly grin, much to Blake's dismay.

"That's awesome!" Ruby cried, her voice echoing through the apartment. "So how long have you two been together? Do you live together?" she asked rapidly, still rattling off questions.

All of a sudden, the smaller girl gasped. "Have you two… y'know, done it?" she asked warily, her voice barely above a whisper. The deepening blush on Blake's face clearly showed her embarrassment.

"Let's not get into that!" Yang countered, trying to move the conversation along. "Anyway, sis. How you doing? Feeling better?" she asked, her concern showing. Ruby gave her sibling a reassuring smile, noticing the hint of distress coming from Yang's voice. "I'm fine, Yang. I've still got a little headache, though."

"The doctors said she should be fine." Blake added, trying to calm her partner. She moved out of the entranceway and over to the couch, sitting down with a tired sigh.

Yang followed behind, Ruby hot on her heels. The youngest of the three observed the small apartment. Blake sat with her eyes closed on the couch in the center of the living room, Yang turning left towards the small kitchen.

"Make yourself comfortable, Rubes," Yang's voice called to her. Heeding Yang's words, she made her way to the couch, noticing a hallway to the right. Two doors on each side of the hall piqued her curiosity.

Placing herself onto the couch alongside Blake, she noticed that the only thing in front of the couch was the glass door that led to the balcony. The positioning of the apartment gave a perfect view of the setting sun.

Taking in the sight, Ruby let herself sink into the soft couch. She closed her eyes just as Blake did and relaxed, letting her mind wander.

 _I'm here. Beacon. A rocky start, maybe, but I'm here. Now I just have to get settled in, be assigned a team and then I can help people._

Ruby's thoughts were interrupted by Yang practically throwing herself onto the couch, right between Blake and Ruby, despite the tight space. Shuffling over, she began to speak, further disrupting Ruby's thoughts. Blake, however, didn't seem bothered at all. Her eyes were still closed, her breathing still steady. It was as if Yang didn't exist to her.

"So, Ruby. Since you've met Blake, I won't bother introducing her. If you have questions, ask her. You've known me for your whole life so no need for any questions," she began.

"Actually I have a few questions." Ruby stated. "Do I get a team? Like a squad?"

Yang nodded as she answered, "All specialists have smaller squads."

"Do I get to choose my team, or is it assigned to us?" she asked, immediately after Yang finished speaking.

Yang let out a small laugh at her eagerness. "Well that's usually the case," her simple answers slightly frustrating her sibling with the lack of information. "Anyway, the only person you haven't met is Weiss. She's kinda cold at first but she'll warm up to you eventually," Yang informed Ruby, the younger girl tilting her head slightly in confusion. "From what Ozpin said, you were supposed to be partnered up with some Polendina girl but something happened in the transfer process so you might be rolling with us for a while."

Ruby couldn't be happier. She had secretly hoped that she'd be able to stick with Yang. But above that, Ruby was excited to meet this _Weiss_ Yang spoke of. "Is Weiss going to be my partner?" she asked excitedly, almost bouncing up and down on the couch.

"Well it's always been Blake, Weiss and I as a trio, but I guess that might be the case. Maybe you and I will be partnered together, or you and Blake. Who knows?" she answered as best she could.

"I don't think Ozpin would separate us," Blake inserted.

Glancing up at the clock, Yang noticed it was getting late and jumped up off the couch, heading towards the kitchen. "So! Who wants steak?"

Ruby's hand shot up like a bullet while Blake simply countered her offer with "Fish."

After feasting on steak in the comfort of the living room, Ruby felt a deep rumbling from within her stomach. Yang simply laughed while Blake directed her down the hall, to the bathroom.

While Ruby was _occupied_ , Blake disappeared into her and Yang's shared bedroom. Soon after, she returned, her armour now replaced with a black yukata.

Upon Ruby's return, she saw Blake reading a book on the couch, with Yang slumped against her, snoring loudly, her hair - a mess covering her face.

Blake glanced over at Ruby. "I'll move her into the bedroom and you can sleep on the couch." she said, her gaze returning to her book. "Let me finish this chapter first."

Ruby nodded and walked over to the window. Looking down at the lit streets, it seemed peaceful. Not a car or person in sight. Then there were the stars. Ruby remembered looking up at the stars back at Patch when she was little.

Her and Yang would lay on the grass for hours. Their mother would often lie down with them and bring them something to eat. Ruby missed her. But there wasn't anything she could do about it now.

A calm voice pulled her away from her memories. "Are you alright, Ruby?" Blake's voice was quiet, barely loud enough to hear. Shifting her gaze to the reflection in the window, Ruby saw that a tear had made its way down her cheek. She also noticed that Blake was now right behind her, a concerned look had found its way onto her face. Although they had only properly met today, Blake looked genuinely concerned, a deep contrast to the Blake from before.

Rubbing her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie, she nodded, though she knew Blake wouldn't be fooled. "You… wanna talk about it?" Blake asked, her voice quieter than before. Her tone was… gentle. Almost as though if she spoke too loud, Ruby would shatter.

Ruby shook her head and turned to face Blake. "It's nothing. Just silly thoughts." she assured with a slight laugh. She noticed how Blake's face brightened and a smile tugged at her lips.

"As long as you're okay. I'll move Yang and get you a blanket and pillow," Blake offered, before turning to Yang and hoisting the sleeping blonde up into her arms.

Ruby sat on the couch as Blake stepped into her room. She kicked off her shoes and lifted her legs up onto the couch, lying on her side. She grabbed one of the couch cushions and placed it under her head. She felt herself relax and let all her muscles loosen.

Before she knew it, she lost herself in her dreams.

Blake stepped into the living room to find Ruby sound asleep, curled up into a ball on the couch. As Blake threw the blanket over the sleeping girl, she heard her murmur something about cookies before wrapping herself up.

Blake smiled and returned to her room. She closed the door behind her with a soft click and smiled at the sight before her.

Yang had sprawled herself across the double bed, the blankets and pillows strewn around the mattress. It looked like a warzone.

Blake stepped over the dirty clothes Yang had left on the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. She nudged Yang over slightly, the blonde mumbling in her sleep before rolling over onto her back.

Yang yawned and scratched her stomach as Blake draped an arm over her, pulling herself closer to the blonde. The black haired girl nuzzled her face into her girlfriend's shoulder, closing her eyes and steadying her breathing.

Blake opened her eyes and found that sunlight shone through the now-opened window. Blake figured she had fallen asleep.

The absence of Yang caught her attention as she slowly rolled onto her back and sat up. As she moved to get up, loud laughter echoed through the hall. Yang's laughter. It took Blake a moment to process that Ruby had stayed with them the previous night and that she and Yang had probably already made breakfast.

Blake dragged herself out of the doorway and down the hall, trudging into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. Before she could turn on the kettle, two arms snaked around her waist and she felt a weight on her shoulder. Turning her head slightly, Blake saw Yang resting her chin with a dopey grin on her face.

"Morning, Blakey," Yang's voice greeted quietly, her warm breath tickling the brunette's ear.

"Good morning, Yang, Ruby," she replied robotically, proceeding to make her tea. Yang let go of Blake, returning to the couch and sitting next to Ruby.

After the tea finished brewing, Blake leaned back against the bench and looked to the sisters in the living room. "You're going to have to go see the technicians about your HUD, Ruby," she reminded.

Ruby nodded with a smile as she replied, "Yang said she'd take me to see them today." Blake glanced at Yang, who nodded, confirming Ruby's statement.

The rest of the morning was fairly dull, Ruby and Yang eventually leaving Blake alone in the apartment.

"You can't seriously expect me to get on that thing with you," Ruby said nervously, gesturing towards Bumblebee, Yang's motorcycle.

Yang chuckled and threw an arm around her sister. "Of course I do! C'mon, it'll be fun!" she exclaimed excitedly, "I'll buy you a cookie."

This caught Ruby's attention and she was soon sitting on the motorcycle, putting on Yang's spare helmet. Yang chuckled as she put on her helmet and mounted the motorcycle.

With a huge roar, the two sped off. The two remained quiet for the whole trip, mostly because they wouldn't be able to hear each other over the roar of the bike anyway.

As they approached the walls of the facility, Yang turned down a thin road that lead to a large sliding gate. When they reached the gate, it automatically slid open, although quite slowly. Yang inched the vehicle forward, descending down into the facility's garage. She parked her motorcycle and the two quickly exited the garage, finding themselves standing in front of a building that greatly resembled the training building.

As they entered, they were greeted with a stark white room, the light that reflected off the glossy walls, causing Ruby to squint. She felt a little uneasy as she walked further into the room and spotted several sharp tools. Yang nudged her elbow and whispered, "They won't use any of those on you, don't worry." Ruby relaxed a little at these words.

A woman in a white lab coat stepped out of what looked like a storage closet into the room. Noticing the two young women in the room, she quickly walked over to them and extended a hand to Yang and Ruby. They shook her hand and the woman quickly spoke up. "Miss Xiao Long, how may I help you?"

"Ruby's HUD needs to be activated," Yang replied, before quickly adding, "Oh! Ruby, this is Professor Peach, head technician. Professor, this is my sister, Ruby."

"Nice to meet you, Ruby. Please, take a seat," Peach insisted, gesturing to a chair in the middle of the room.

As Ruby sat down, the feeling of being slightly tilted back reminded Ruby of being in a dentist's chair. The Professor sat down in a desk chair next to Ruby and picked up a small tablet off of a table next to the chair. The device reminded Ruby of what Blake was using the day she woke up.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a small chime and text appearing in her vision.

 **HUD Initialization - 0%**

Ruby gasped as she gazed at the strange interface. She heard Yang chuckle and glanced over at her sister. A few moments later, she was doubled over, now laughing like a madwoman. The number slowly went up, before reaching one hundred percent.

 **HUD Initialization, complete**

 **Hello, Specialist Rose**

Ruby looked over at Yang again and exclaimed, "It knows my name!" causing Yang to somehow laugh even more.

The words disappeared from her vision and were replaced with the Vale coat of arms. The logo dissipated and Ruby sighed with relief, her vision returning to normal.

Yang laughed until Professor Peach stated, "Your reaction was much worse, Yang. You still owe money for the damages." Yang stopped laughing, a grim look on her face, and grabbed Ruby's hand.

"Thanks, Peach! See ya later!" the blonde called out as she hauled Ruby out of the building.

As the two returned to the small street outside the building, Ruby looked up at her sister and was horrified to find that the torment was not over. Next to her sister, seemingly floating, were the words:

 **Specialist Xiao Long**

Yang cocked her head at her sister in curiosity but soon caught on to what she was staring at, a wide grin on her face.


	6. PSA (Sorry)

**Public Service Announcement**

Boy, did I dread the day that I'd feel one of these was neccessary.

Okay, I'll be honest. I don't have a good excuse for my absence. Other than my beta's disappearing into thin air, of course. But I can't blame them for anything. They have a life of their own and whether or not they take time out of it to read over some stranger's low quality writing is their choice.

I hope everyone understands that I really want to continue this story. I will. It emwill/em take time, though. These chapters are going to have long spaces between them; I'll need time to properly edit them myself and make sure they're not as trash as the unedited version.

My work hasn't ever really been popular. In all fairness, that seems to be every writer's struggle at some point. Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset or salty about it. If anything, I'm proud of actually writing as much as I have. My stories aren't the best, but I'm trying really hard to make this story stand out from the rest.

I'm going to upload as much as I can. You have my word on that. The only solution I can think of to make this story popular is to just upload. If there's more chapters, more readers. I don't quite understand the logic behind it, myself, but I'll still try it.

Also, the proper Chapter 6 has been sitting in my google drive, half done, for the past months. I'm going to polish it up soon and just upload it as it is, so that you can actually have something worth reading.

Thanks, I guess.


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